Is 3-D for Security?

Editor / Provider: Alyssa Fann | Updated: 8/7/2012 | Article type: Tech Corner

Currently, 3-D technology is used in the security industry to create virtual 3-D environments — 3-D mapping — which is then integrated with a number of third party security systems, such as video surveillance, access control, intrusion detection and fire safety into a PSIM platform. Most of the companies currently providing this solution have partnered with a number of manufacturers in the security industry for the integration of hardware and software in order to exploit the benefits of 3-D. Fortem, for example, has listed its integration partners on its website.

Termed as a tool to gain situational awareness, 3-D can be beneficial in helping to mitigate false alarms, improve detection, reduce training time, increase speed of competency and finally, reduce search times in case of an event. Currently, it is mostly utilized in large facilities such as universities, airports or city surveillance projects. According to Debjit Das, VP of Global Marketing for Video Intelligence Solutions at Verint Systems, a 3-D model is created in PSIM using a layered approach. "The first layer is created using publicly available images and information about the areas, such as satellite images. Next, CAD drawings of floor plans and structures for the facilities are incorporated into the 3-D model."

At the same time, Rémi Bréval, Associate Director of Product Technologies at Genetec, pointed out that the “implementation of 3-D in security environments is leading, and in some cases bleeding edge technology that requires specialized knowledge and 3-D modeling expertise that may not exist in-house with integrators and end users. This is largely due to requirement for specialized knowledge of modeling and visualization tools and complex work involved in development of high fidelity 3-D environments."

“This expertise is not something common to the security industry, although there may be cases in which an integrator has nurtured in-house capabilities to support delivery of this functionality to its customers. In all cases, maintenance and updating of the 3-D environment will be an ongoing requirement that organizations need to factor into their implementation plan,” added Bréval.

2-D versus 3-D
What are the major differences between 2-D and 3-D when it comes to surveillance? Starting with the designing process, 3-D technology can maximize security budgets and provide what Cynthia Woo, Marketing Coordinator at Fortem, called “unparalleled situation awareness” that enables you to “see things that a 2-D design might have missed.” Woo provided the example of Fortem's 3-D simulation tool that allows users to try out camera and lens type on a 3-D simulated virtual map to visualize what the camera will see and at what resolution. Ultimately, Woo said, “prior to the purchase or installation of any camera, a 3-D map will allow you to effectively plan out your security design, reduce costs and meet all design requirements.” Similarly, Das agreed, “We offer 3-D to improve planning and response, ensure that the appropriate coverage of a facility is achieved. A 3-D model in PSIM provides better visualization and heightened situational awareness compared to a 2-D model, and in the planning and response process, it allows you to increase the effectiveness of your security operations."

Next, when it comes to the actual surveillance, 3-D technology promises to transform the experience. Accordingly, Woo said, “The major difference between 2-D and 3-D is the visualization aspect. With 3-D you are able to distinguish height and depth of a given area.” Similarly, Das summarized, “3-D provides better planning, easier visualization and hence a higher level of situational awareness for more effective response.”

Enhanced Visualization
A number of 3-D technology providers have partnered with PSIM service providers to provide an enhanced integrated security model. Accordingly, Ted Ingalsbe, CTO at Bridgeborn, said, “The 3-D environment is becoming the center piece of PSIM software. It provides the mashed up view of all the security system information integrated into PSIM software so an operator is provided better situational awareness.”

Benoit Georis, Analytics Expert at Digital Barriers, listed four benefits of 3-D technology in PSIM security platforms. First, 3-D technology provides consistency checks by removing false alarms that might arise from a lack of perspective management present in 2-D technology, such as showing that a person cannot jump over a high wall. Second, in what Gerois termed as “redeployable cameras,” a 3-D system is parameterized with real world 3-D parameters so that camera locations can be changed without the need to readjust settings, unlike a 2-D system which requires re-parameterizing. Third, industry experts all agree that 3-D technology can be integrated seamlessly with existing systems. Finally, a 3-D enabled security system can locate a suspicious person on a 3-D map of a site or building through information of the X, Y, Z location. In other words and as Woo said, “simply click on the 3-D map and you will be redirected to the appropriate video feeds, saving valuable time in critical situations.” For example, a 3-D PSIM platform such as Fortem's central command enables security staff to instantly view the site of concern when an alarm is triggered, alongside the corresponding video feeds. Next, as third party security systems can easily be integrated into the 3-D PSIM, security staff can easily “fly over an entire city or area for a full visualization of the surroundings” and alter the settings of third party security systems as required, such as unlocking or locking a door from an access control system that is connected to the PSIM. Furthermore, Woo added, “an investigator will be able to visualize possible routes that a suspect may have taken.”

Static and Immersive
Before getting into the nicks and crooks of investing in a 3-D PSIM system, it is necessary to differentiate between static and immersive 3-D technology. Keith Bloodworth, CEO of CNL Software, explained, “Static 3-D visualization is where a company is contracted to render a 3-D image, which is displayed within the PSIM software to which camera locations and fire points are added.” For example, an old CCTV system with multiple DVRs and a NVR can be modernized into 3-D by placing it upon a Google Map or SketchUp in a 3-D representation of the exterior/interior. While the improvement in quality will not be drastic, the integration of it into a PSIM system can be vastly beneficial to management and operation.

On the other hand, Bloodworth said, “immersive 3-D interacts with hardware to render the virtual environment and process the user input to provide a real sense of walking through a building. When cameras are overlaid on this, it creates a much richer user experience, allowing them to see more contextual information. The 3-D rendering is very process heavy, so requires lots of processor power. This adds significant costs to any deployment.” Hence, security budgets should be a factor in the process of adopting a 3-D PSIM system.

Control and Processing for HD-SDI

Editor / Provider: a&s China | Updated: 7/24/2012 | Article type: Tech Corner

Today, some manufacturers already allow PTZ control and bidirectional audio. This creates the foundation for traditional matrix manufacturers to make their comeback in a world of HD video surveillance. Functions are still a bit lacking at the moment, and the scale is limited to 96×16, but things are moving forward quickly.

However, it is important to note that one should avoid planning purchases based on promised features.

Image Processing and Analytics
Although SDI advocates tout zero latency, HD-SDI actually has a delay of 40 to 50ms. To be fair, that level of latency is not noticeable to the naked eye. In terms of image quality, HD-SDI's lossless pictures provide pure distortion-free, no-lost-frames bliss. Low SNR and wide dynamic range allow HD-SDI to produce relatively better images, compared to network cameras.

When it comes to video analytics, accuracy is greatly improved since there are no lost frames or distortion in the picture. HD-SDI is currently limited to basic analytics such as masking, motion detection and OSD, while features like people counting are not yet possible. Chipmakers have already announced analytics-enabled 1080p30 chips, but it may be a while before actual products materialize.

Having said that, it is important to remember that with great picture quality, comes great processing requirements. "Whether it is analytics via HD-SDI or IP, the more details you feed the analytics engine, the more accurate result you will get," said Wang Jin Ze, SDI Product Manager, Tiandy Digital Technology. "However, as the pictures increase in quality, so will the required resources for processing those pictures. In that sense, HD-SDI does not necessarily have a decisive advantage over IP when it comes to analytics."

Central Processing
The central processing approach consolidates the resources for N channels in one location, taking maximum advantage of Moore's Law improvements in chips, according to Todd Rockoff, Executive Director, HDcctv Alliance. In contrast, there are two fundamental disadvantages of the network camera approach, according to Rockoff.

The first is that network cameras each have at least one compression subsystem. "That's at least 17 chips (including the NVR) in an IP camera system, versus as few as one chip in an HDcctv DVR."

The second is that "compression is required in modern surveillance systems for streaming to three destinations: local-site storage, off-site live views, and off-site storage," Rockoff continued. "DVRs are also efficient for streaming playback to off-site locations." DVRs have been proven cost-effective for these four purposes, Rockoff said.

In contrast, Rockoff said, network camera-based system architecture introduces a further requirement of compressing for live view in the camera. "A single, compressed stream emerging from the camera is very likely to be less than optimum for at least one of the four purposes. Countering this issue by storing in the camera and/or producing multiple streams serves to increase camera complexity and consume more local-site IP LAN bandwidth, both of which are precious resources.”

Demystifying HD-SDI Transmission and Storage

Editor / Provider: a&s China | Updated: 7/24/2012 | Article type: Tech Corner

IP-based video surveillance systems have been improving rapidly over the past few years, and there are fairly complete and sophisticated solutions out there, along with numerous product lines to choose from. But it was not always so.

High prices, few selections, lack of options… Sound familiar? HD-SDI is still maturing, just as network cameras began to gain awareness back in 2002.

Analog Inheritance
Besides a selected few subcontracted installations in China and Korea, HD-SDI currently does not have any large-scale applications. Why? This is associated with the price of the switching, and storage requirements, said Alan Hayes, founder and MD, AMG Systems. "This can be compared with analogue video where all signals come back to the control room rather than IP systems where storage and switching is distributed.

“There is, however, an advantage to this approach. With HD-SDI DVRs, the structure of the system does not require any change at all. All the user needs is an SDI signal distributor to push the signals to a TV wall or LCD monitor.

Another benefit is that existing infrastructure can potentially be reused. For example, since banks are largely still using coaxial cables, they are in a great position to upgrade from analog to HD-SDI, providing that their cables reach a certain level of quality. This reduces their time and cost of installation, which appeals well to the keepers of cash.

However, existing cables are not guaranteed to work. Since HD-SDI is digital, it does not degrade gracefully like analog does, said Todd Rockoff, Executive Director, HDcctv Alliance. "Once the return loss exceeds the prescribed range, the signal ceases to be transmitted." Ultimately, installers bidding retrofits will need field testers to verify the status of the cables. According to the HDcctv Alliance, the ability to reuse legacy cable depends on the physical properties of that cable and the quality of its terminations. "Length is just one factor; core composition, wire gauge, cable run geometry, the integrity of the insulating layers, and so forth, also affect the result."

Maturing at a Rapid Pace
Other enhancements are also being made to increase HD-SDI's feasibility, such as extending its transmission distance, developing specialized displays for HD-SDI, and improving manageability.

Extending Distance
While short transmission distance has been a major downside for HD-SDI, improvements in chip technology and the debut of fiber link breaks HD-SDI away from the chains of coax. The current selection of transmission solutions is still limited for integrators and end users, but recent improvements show that HD-SDI is now suitable for many more applications than previously assumed.

Besides increasing bit rates, chips also use lossless compression to extend the distance to 300 m. However, the most common practice is to use fiber optic transceivers, which can use WDM/DWDM/CWDM to utilize different wavelengths of light to extend HD-SDI's reach to 30 km to 70 km, up from the paltry 100 m.

Multiple channels can be put on one fiber, but this will involve using different optical wavelength channels, one for each video channel, using CWDM technology, Hayes said. "CWDM does have a price premium, so it comes out relatively expensive. But from a technical point of view it is perfectly doable.

“Other benefits of the fiber approach are that other signals — Ethernet, data and so on — can be multiplexed onto the same fiber, thus saving materials and installation costs on the infrastructure.”

Specialized Displays
For the most part, current video surveillance displays use CVBS and VGA interface. When it comes to high definition video, two prominent formats are 720p and 1,080p. The HDTV SMPTE-296M/274M requires that the interface used to be HDMI or DVI and YC.

Most HD display manufacturers directly assume HDMI when it comes to HD-SDI, but in reality BNC is a more apt interface for SDI. Many displays already support HDMI-1080p, and displays with embedded SDI receivers and that support SDI connectors are available as well, albeit choices are currently limited to either small or large displays.

Video Management Not a Problem
HD-SDI originally lacked a unified platform for video management, but it is now possible to run the video through an SDI server to convert the signals to IP. The data can then be managed by any NVR or VMS.

In addition, the DVR can also output the video through its network interface into the VMS. The claim that HD-SDI does not have management platform no longer rings true.

For a highway project in Korea that had such a requirement, coaxial cables and fiber optics were used at the front end to transmit the signals to the traffic control center, then converted via HD-RX and convert the signals to BT.1120 and input into a network enabled DVR or HD-SDI video server. The VMS can then collect and manage all the DVRs on the network and control camera PTZ, all via standards.

As little as a few months ago, there were still many that expressed concern over whether matrix switchers could handle HD-SDI signals. Many even assumed that SDI could not be controlled as easy as analog, since SDI is not a composite signal like CVBS. However, with the help of chipmakers and developments in SDI equalizer circuit and SDI distributor, manufacturers now offer SDI control matrices.

Hikvision Trial Run to Help Bangkok Police Stay Mobile

Editor / Provider: Hikvision | Updated: 7/12/2012 | Article type: Security 50

Right now, the streets of Bangkok, Thailand are testing a potentially ground-breaking development in police protection: Hikvision mobile security.

Beginning in late 2011, Bangkok's Crime Suppression Unit began placing Hikvision's DS-8104HMI-A Mobile DVR and DS-6101HLI Portable Video Recorder in both squad cars and motorcycle units to achieve a wide array of security benefits. Most importantly, these tools have helped the Thai police force and the larger communities in which they serve.

Fighting Crime and Helping Officers
Somchai Prajaksoot, Managing Director at Digital Focus Co Ltd. – the leading security products distributor in Thailand, and the distributor for this project – explained the goals of this project:
1. Gather on-site evidence through video recording during incidents
2. Centralize real-time monitoring and remote recording
3. Track police vehicle positions
4. Gather location information for security/efficiency in video file formats
5. Produce an integrated solution from one service provider

Furthermore, to achieve these goals, it was paramount to find a communication method that would both fit the solution and function well within Thailand. Mr. Prajaksoot explained the difficulties associated with this, “In Thailand, our 3G network does not completely cover all areas. Additionally, there are serious bandwidth issues when sending a large amount of data. These facts alone dictated that the choice of hardware needed to be very specific … and very high-quality. We chose Hikvision.”

The first half of this solution is Hikvision's DS-8104HMI-A Mobile DVR, which has been placed in squad cars and patrol motorcycles, but is primarily used in cars. Regardless, Hikvision's patented hard disk vibration-proof and bracing technology ensures that the DS-8104HMI-A will continue operating regardless of motorcycle, car, or the conditions of the road underneath either.

Mr. Prajaksoot explained, “We've had very good results with this mobile DVR. Utilizing the unit's built-in 3G module and GPS module provides exact positional information for the officers. As well, Hikvision's technology allows us a very stable connection using the 3G network. Most importantly, the DS-8104HMI-A is great for communicating – the command center is able to receive precise data and instantly understand the situation.”

The quality of this connection is specifically due to the DS-8104HMI-A's ability to support dual-stream transmissions. Specifically, the sub-stream allows both remote video previewing and mobile phone monitoring with minimal bandwidth occupation – thereby proving the stability. “Features such as this allow Bangkok's police force the ability to not only follow general security trends, but stay ahead of the curve,” Mr. Prajaksoot noted.

While the goal of Bangkok's police department is to ensure that social order remains intact, unfortunately disturbances and crimes are a reality that cannot be avoided. Fortunately, Hikvision's DS-6101HLI Portable Video Recorder gives the police officers involved in these more dangerous aspects an additional level of protection – such as the ability to instantly record video at any location, thereby allowing supervisors in the control center the ability to make better informed decisions based on this real-world information.

Mr. Prajaksoot discussed that “often, when problems arise, police are called to remote areas. These areas, generally, do not provide internet access through Wi-Fi. While most solutions would solely use a Wi-Fi connection for a portable video recorder, we are able to utilize our 3G network with excellent results.”

Dahua Technology Takes off in Mediterranean Region

Editor / Provider: Dahua Technology | Updated: 7/12/2012 | Article type: Security 50

Morocco, a kingdom in North Africa that has enchanting scenery and an intriguing cultural background is an attractive market for Dahua Technology to tap. With close cooperation with its exclusive local distributor — Country Technologie, an experienced company specializing in providing a wide range of services to the IT community, Dahua Technology successfully participated in some local applications covering various industries.

Oil Industry — Petromin Corporation

Located in Jeddah, Petromin Corporation is the market leader in Saudi Arabia for the oil industry. Over the past two decades, it has produced over 150 various products and exported to more than 35 countries in GCC, Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Globally the oil industry continues its prosperity, but still, we can learn about some unfortunate accidents which led to irrecoverable losses. Thus, Petromin Corporation planned to improve its production safety by adding Dahua DVRs to its current video surveillance system.

DH-DVR1604LE-L is a 1.5U DVR with 16 channel video inputs and 4 audio inputs. It supports 1stch & 9thch D1 & other channels CIF realtime recording. The unit accommodates 4 SATA & 1 eSATA. In addition, it supports HDMI (up to 1080p) & VGA simultaneous output.

Furniture & Decoration Retailer — Kitea

Kitea is the most influential furniture & decoration retailer in Morocco. The enterprise is driven by a simple but fantastic idea of offering modern furniture which is practical and incorporated with aesthetics considerations, which are affordable for all Moroccans. Kitea has opened scores of retail stores in Morocco, which means they have plenty to consider about: the store condition, display layout, cashier desk etc. Therefore, they were keen to have qualified storage devices with multi-channel inputs to get ongoing events in control.

After careful consideration and testing, DH-DVR3204LE-U was selected for Kitea. DH-DVR3204LE-U is a 2U DVR with 32 channel video inputs and 16 audio inputs. It supports all channel CIF or special channel D1 realtime recording. The unit accommodates 8 SATA & 1 eSATA.

Manufacturing Industry — Automotive Wiring System Morocco

As a leading provider for Volkswagen Polo, AWSM owns a credit for the world's best-selling cars by offering reliable wiring harnesses. Located in Tangier Free Zone (TFZ), it has a mass production order demand each day. Therefore, to further standardize and regulate the production procedure as well as ensure the product quality, AWSM chose Dahua's cameras and have them installed in workshops and offices. The selected camera model — DH-IPC-HFW3300 is a 3-megapixel full HD network camera that not only has outstanding image quality, but also interoperability and compatibility for future integration.

Featuring 1/2.8” 3mp SONY PS Exmor CMOS image sensor and advanced TI DaVinci Series DSP, it presents a wonderful full HD image quality and crisp and sharp detail reproduction.

Helping Manufacturing Head Home

Editor / Provider: a&s International | Updated: 7/17/2012 | Article type: Hot Topics

Rafael Carmisin Duarte, Business Development Manager at Intelbras, thinks that there are three key factors that go into deciding where a factory should be located: government regulations, local infrastructure (logistics and supply chain mainly), and human resources. A place with favorable government regulations, good infrastructure and inexpensive but capable workers would be a good place to establish a manufacturing site. “If we talk about the local benefits on cost, we're always talking about effects on end-user price, therefore market competitiveness advantage. When talking about the human resources, we consider workers, capabilities and work environment, which will reflect directly on production performance and products' quality. These among other factors will definitely have a result on the reliability of products and in turn, mitigate after-sales problems."

Location advantages have led to the rise of places like Shenzhen. Shenzhen is a manufacturing hub in the south of China that manufactures many products from different industries. Duarte finds that since there are so many industries manufacturing in Shenzhen and China, the infrastructure is highly developed, and it is very easy to find suppliers of any needed components nearby; however, it is still hard to find qualified ones.

Shenzhen, or rather China, is best known for its relatively inexpensive labor market; on the other hand, this initial lower cost does lead to other concerns and the need for better analysis. “With regards to human resources, people always talk about cost, but they should also consider worker ability,” said Duarte. “In China, the labor is still competitive, but with a high turnover that changes the workforce every 6 months, so workers are neither kept nor invested in for long. If you are able to find a place with capable labor knowledge and skills, and you are able to keep your workers for a long time, it may be worthwhile. Even if you have to pay more for the workers, you will have fewer expenses in the long run."

Many of the security products on the global market today seem to be manufactured in China, Korea or Taiwan, but this was not always the case. Local manufacturing or assembly, the idea of putting a product together in the place where it will be sold, seems like an anachronism.

How did we get here?
The U.S. spends large amounts of money on security equipment, yet it no longer manufactures much of the technology within the country. Familiar with how manufacturing in security has changed over time is Paul Broome, owner and Consultant with Compair. “The US CCTV Sales Market has changed over time from full line product manufacturers to full line product providers,” said Broome. “It seems that all monitors and cameras are manufactured by non-US manufacturers. For many large US companies, product development is limited to specifying a product's design parameters and shopping for an outsourced developer and manufacturer to take on the task. A single US company with six DVRs in its product offering may get them from six different OEM companies.”

The default now is the collaboration between local and foreign partners, though this can happen many ways. In the U.S., a local marketing, sales and support function in the local language can provide the look and feel of a local product, said Broome. “Collaboration with foreign manufacturers is now an integral part of the US market. Opening markets has made it relatively easy to move the manufacturing effort to the locations of lowest costs. At first the problem was finding a manufacturer who can produce your product for you. Now the problem is deciding which partner to choose from an overwhelming number of offerings. The logistics of making personal contact with offshore partners has been simplified. Just go to any US trade show and walk through aisle after aisle of potential partners.”

But with this collaboration, is there a way for manufacturing and assembly to be moved towards where the products will be? Outside of price, there are also quite a few intangible effects to local manufacturing and assembly. “To be able to react flexible and agile on market demands and demand fluctuations, a regional manufacturing has a significant advantage for mid and high volume products,” said Michael Jaeger, VP of Operations, Bosch Security Systems. “Regional sourcing is a key aspect to reduce lead times and to gain speed and flexibility.”

“If products are manufactured locally, a big advantage is that they don't have to send the faulty product back to the country of origin for after-sales service,” said Iqbal Singh Jagdeva, MD of Turbo Consultancy Services. “For example, once they manufacture in India, there will be setup for services and maintenance. Presently, if any defect occurs in imported products, the product is often sent back to the manufacturer by paying freight charges and inspection charges. Then after the product is repaired, there are more freight charges and customs duties. Besides the cumbersome paperwork, this is also inefficient.”

Manufacturing within your borders may make it easier to control the manufacturing process. There are less language and cultural barriers. However, the regulations, infrastructure and human capital need to be favorable to local manufacturing as well. “The industrial design needs to consider the capabilities of local suppliers and the available workforce,” said Jaeger. “For products with high complexity and/or low volumes, single source is the preferred approach to manage the complexity best.”

Locally manufactured products may be closer to the local culture, which may allow it to have a wider range of distribution channels in comparison to internationally imported products. “I think that local products have a wider range of distribution channels. Penetration of the local market is easier,” said Duarte. “When distributing imported goods, people mostly focus on the big cities and city centers and miss a lot of the surrounding market — the countryside, smaller cities, and different states. It's easier for local manufacturers; they can go much deeper. They understand the culture, the people; they have the right connections.”

Though it may seem like a conflict for distributors to carry local brands, or even own branded products, along with international brands, often this is not the case. If local brands may be low- to mid-end products, and imported brands are high-end, then distributors may in fact increase their reach, and thereby the reach of all their products, by offering more products for more customers. “A distributor or integrator which is using its own brand is not necessarily a disadvantage — as long as there is no direct competition in the same market and price segment,” said Jaeger.

Dahua Technology Takes off in Mediterranean Region

Editor / Provider: a&s China Best Buys | Updated: 7/29/2012 | Article type: China Corner

Morocco, a kingdom in North Africa that has enchanting scenery and an intriguing cultural background is an attractive market for Dahua Technology to tap. With close cooperation with its exclusive local distributor — Country Technologie, an experienced company specializing in providing a wide range of services to the IT community, Dahua Technology successfully participated in some local applications covering various industries.

Oil Industry — Petromin Corporation
Located in Jeddah, Petromin Corporation is the market leader in Saudi Arabia for the oil industry. Over the past two decades, it has produced over 150 various products and exported to more than 35 countries in GCC, Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Globally the oil industry continues its prosperity, but still, we can learn about some unfortunate accidents that led to irrecoverable losses. Thus, Petromin Corporation planned to improve its production safety by adding Dahua DVRs to its current video surveillance system.

DH-DVR1604LE-L is a 1.5U DVR with 16 channel video inputs and 4 audio inputs. It supports 1st ch & 9th ch D1 & other channels CIF realtime recording. The unit accommodates 4 SATAs & 1 eSATA. In addition, it supports HDMI (up to 1080p) & VGA simultaneous output.

Furniture & Decoration Retailer — Kitea
Kitea is the most influential furniture & decoration retailer in Morocco. The enterprise is driven by a simple but fantastic idea of offering modern furniture which is practical and incorporated with aesthetics considerations, which are affordable for all Moroccans.

Kitea has opened scores of retail stores in Morocco, which means they have plenty to consider about: the store condition, display layout, cashier desk etc. Therefore, they were keen to have qualified storage devices with multichannel inputs to get ongoing events in control.

After careful consideration and testing, DH-DVR3204LE-U was selected for Kitea. DH-DVR3204LE-U is a 2U DVR with 32 channel video inputs and 16 channel audio inputs. It supports all channel CIF or special channel D1 realtime recording. The unit accommodates 8 SATAs & 1 eSATA.

Manufacturing Industry — Automotive Wiring System Morocco
As a leading provider for Volkswagen Polo, AWSM owns a credit for the world's best-selling cars by offering reliable wiring harnesses. Located in Tangier Free Zone (TFZ), it has a mass production order demand each day. Therefore, to further standardize and regulate the production procedure as well as ensure the product quality, AWSM chose Dahua's cameras and have them installed in workshops and offices. The selected camera model — DH-IPC-HFW3300 is a 3-megapixel full HD network camera that not only has outstanding image quality, but also interoperability and compatibility for future integration.

Featuring 1/2.8" 3-megapixel SONY PS Exmor CMOS image sensor and advanced TI DaVinci Series DSP, it presents a wonderful full HD image quality and crisp and sharp detail reproduction.

Vision
Dahua Technology values the Moroccan market due to its special geographical position and strong economy, William Zhou, the Sales Manager in charge of Latin-Africa region, added: "Morocco is one of our important target areas, we will continue to work closely with our exclusive regional distributor and participate more in local projects to offer even better products and services to all clients who use our products." The General Manager of Country Technologie, Mr. Anas also expressed his satisfaction for nice cooperation with Dahua Technology, he appreciates the excellent support from Dahua over the years and looks forward to further cooperation.

Resolving Cloud Surveillance Challenges

Editor / Provider: a&s International | Updated: 7/12/2012 | Article type: Tech Corner

Software is fairly consistent, but hardware comes in all shapes and sizes. An open platform is required for VSaaS IP connectivity, but network video has yet to be plug-and-play. "IP video technology is a ‘mixed bag' in this regard: the negatives are the incompatible standards of IP video, but the benefits include the ability to view over the Internet on a wide range of off-the-shelf – and in many cases, already-owned – PCs, smartphones and tablets," said Andrew Pigram, Technical Director at Norbain.

The Norbain offering is not limited to pure IP, as existing analog cameras can be used with encoders. "However, Norbain sees this as a new market opportunity and for customers to take benefit of analytics and greater image resolution images, so we see this mainly as a new camera install opportunity," Pigram said.

Honeywell also supports hybrid video, as well as third-party products. "We use some developments in our system for PSIA, RTSP or ONVIF," said John Smith, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at Honeywell. "We support those, but our goal is to be product agnostic. The system is bringing them all together into a common user interface and a different view for the market."

Trends & Issues
Home and small- business networks can be unreliable. While this may be acceptable for homeowners checking on their pets, more critical business applications should consider VSaaS as a backup option for local recording.

"However, there are a number of trends: edge recording in the camera reduces the risk of complete loss of recorded video and Internet connections are improving with higher quality-of service becoming available," Pigram said. "In the short term, we believe that there are many users who require ‘visual information,' as opposed to high-security surveillance, who will benefit from VSaaS."

Data protection measures are imperative for VSaaS, as privacy is an issue near and dear to customers. British data protection law does not protect users against criminal liability for the loss or misuse of data once it leaves the U.K., meaning that should video fall into the wrong hands, the service provider cannot be held responsible. "There is a greater risk of civil liability here than in situations where the user has control of their own data," said Brian Kelly, MD of Bold Communications. "There may also be legal conflicts between different jurisdictions. For example, the US Patriot Act allows law enforcers to help themselves to any data they become interested in."

British regulation standards and UL compliance require monitoring centers to be in control of their clients' data, which will be difficult to enforce for hosted video. "How can you be sure your data is being securely purged?" Kelly asked. "If a VSaaS provider goes bust, what happens to your data?"

To combat these concerns, local storage options and established data centers feature prominently in VSaaS offerings. "Security of information is very important, not only to ensure that information is not lost, but is also not accessible by others," Pigram said.

If customers do not want their data stored on their premises, they could store video locally and access it through the Internet. "It's different compared to a traditional DVR because you have single login on the device," Smith said. "Most customers don't have any issue with cloud storage, but if they want to lock it down in their facility, they have that option."

$$$
VSaaS may be set to exceed $1 billion by 2014, but even IMS acknowledges that price is a key inhibitor to acceptance. "The infrastructure cost required to provide a VSaaS solution remains relatively expensive, with monthly camera subscriptions costing between $5 and $30 depending on the level of service and the inclusion of hardware," wrote IMS in a prepared statement. "While this sounds inexpensive compared to the initial capital expenditure for a DVR, over time this will generate a considerable cost for the end user. Furthermore, some video surveillance equipment vendors offer free remote monitoring through DVRs, NVRs and video management software. This service may prompt an end user to upgrade existing hardware or software rather than opt for a VSaaS solution."

The low monthly price may attract some cost-conscious customers, but could hurt VSaaS as well. "As VSaaS becomes more commoditized, there is a risk that the quality and security of the service offered will be affected," Kelly said. "It will only take one well-publicized failure – bearing in mind we are talking about security applications – to damage confidence and trust in VSaaS."

However, VSaaS could ring up real savings for dealers. "One of the challenges we ran across when developing the service was, 'Well, I can do that on my DVR," Smith said. Their response is this: all the things that DVRs can do, they can do – at no cost.

Dealers will also save on time and labor by accessing sites remotely. "A lot of dealers need to realize that the industry is moving more toward providing service," Smith said.

"Instead of having the customers manage the OS issues, virus and compatibility issues, letting things happen in the cloud is going to let the dealer have service opportunities they did not have before."

However, cost may be less of a barrier than comfort for security channel players. "IP is still relatively new in the security world," Smith said. "Dealers fear they have issues with networks and IP expertise, but they're overcoming that by becoming more standardized and plug-and play. You'd be surprised how many dealers can't let go of control to a third party to intervene in their security offerings."

Equipment prices, network issues and service costs continue to challenge VSaaS adoption. As more full-fledged services emerge, a more mobile society may drive uptake for hosted video. While it may take time for the market to reach the billion-dollar mark, VSaaS hits the sweet spot for homeowners and small-business owners that just want video – without the hassle of storage and configuration. VSaaS is not for everyone, but has enough overarching appeal to reach for the sky.

Cloud Video in Demand?

Editor / Provider: a&s International | Updated: 7/11/2012 | Article type: Tech Corner

The cloud is a tantalizing opportunity for video surveillance. By doing away with hard disk drives (HDDs) and storing everything to the cloud, gone is the most costly and failure-prone part of a video system. IMS Research estimated the global market for video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) was worth more than US$500 million in 2011, up 25 percent from 2010. It predicts the VSaaS market could surpass $1 billion by 2014, yielding rich rewards for service providers.

Business Models
Cloud surveillance is being offered by dealers, telcos, alarm-monitoring companies and even manufacturers. Viewing is the main purpose, rather than total security, with crucial differences between each offering.

UK distributor Norbain launched a VSaaS service aimed at the small surveillance installation market of one to six cameras, or the residential and SMB market. “It is designed to be installed by a professional installer with professional equipment, but the live/playback/monitoring is to be carried out by the end user in most cases,” said Andrew Pigram, Technical Director at Norbain. “It's to make sure your camera selection is correct. Users know that alarms or any triggers are correctly positioned, so you don't get many false alarms or recorded footage with nothing on it.” Telcos have the advantage of bandwidth, making hosted monitoring a natural extension of their services. Cox Communications launched a trial security service in Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona, which has seen “good” early results. “Cox Home Security is supported by wireless and broadband infrastructure,” said Todd Smith, Director of Media Relations for Cox Communications. “Our solution includes the option of video components and broader home automation. This is a natural fit for us given our communications -- video, broadband, phone – relationship with customers already and allows them to stay connected to their homes when away.”

Manufacturers have the technical expertise and security background to distinguish their VSaaS offerings. “We previously were not a hosted video service provider, but we are now. We saw it as a natural fit for our business,” said John Smith, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at Honeywell. “We are a step below central monitoring for 24/7 monitoring. Our system is an automated system with smart analytics or sensors to detect people where they aren't supposed to be.”

Honeywell's offering has potential to be the one of the largest. It is available in North America, including the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and will be rolled out to EMEA in 2013, Smith said. An APAC offering is in development, which could make it a global cloud offering. “Honeywell is in a good position for access control, intrusion, video and full ID badging,” he said. “We hope to offer all services in the cloud.”

Pros and Cons
While VSaaS looks promising, the level of support differs greatly between offerings. Most telco packages only cover cheap webcams and merely host the video, not watch it. In the event of a fire or other emergency, the homeowner or shopkeeper will not be notified. Real-time security notification is still the trump card of central monitoring stations. However, security dealers and manufacturers offer more robust surveillance equipment and correct placement, ensuring a consistent viewing experience compared to a telco.

Who Wants Hosted Video?
Defining a target audience for VSaaS greatly affects how the final product looks. VSaaS holds far more mass-market appeal than enterprise-grade PSIM, requiring the user interface to be as intuitive and friendly as possible.

The residential market holds potential in the U.K. “The upper end of the residential market have intruder alarms in 50 percent of homes,” Pigram said. “So there's opportunity to add surveillance to those properties. It's not just for verification of alarms, but to give users information, such as of their pets left in the house and to see if they're all right.”

Most people are understandably squeamish about surveillance in their homes, which is why Honeywell focuses on business owners. “We sell it primarily in a commercial space; retail; quick service such as fast food and convenience stores; office buildings; professional buildings for doctors and chiropractors; and light manufacturing,” Smith said.

Honeywell examined market needs and found commercial users were maintaining their equipment more reactively. “With traditional video, a lot of people would go back and look back into their system, but the DVR failed, wasn't recording or the camera went out,” Smith said. “With the service, we found out customers needed to be notified when equipment wasn't working. They can know when a camera went offline, as the system can send notifications to the dealer and users.”

Business owners with multiple locations are a key target for VSaaS, which allows them to store video to the cloud, rather than buying a recorder for each shop. “You may have a chain of muffler stores, where the business owner with eight locations wants to check each location,” Smith said. “We provide a single login for the user. … We want to make it light upfront so it's not a heavy investment in equipment for the user, to lower the barrier of entry and capture RMR from these types of services.”

The target VSaaS customer will not be a large retailer or have a big security budget, but wants to view video remotely at an affordable rate. “VSaaS is OK for SME and residential customers with one to four cameras; not for corporate, but we're not seeing that market going to VSaaS,” Pigram said. “I'm less concerned in selling VSaaS to an existing market, as we're selling services to brand-new customers.”

Benefits
VSaaS is not intended to replace alarm monitoring centers, but delivers viewing anytime, anywhere. It reduces capital outlay for DVRs and NVRs, and saves maintenance cost on spinning HDDs, Pigram said. Efficiency is being touted in some offerings, but the energy savings do not equate to a payback for the service provider.

However, the mobile “always-on” world is driving uptake. “Some of the things driving hosted video for residential are consumer electronics with tablets and smartphones,” Pigram said. “The customer is happy because they can utilize something they've bought, and we're happy because we don't need to provide a viewing platform. It reduces capital outlay and clutter in the house. The end user does not need to buy a DVR and monitor.”

The cloud's visibility and availability on mobile devices benefits VSaaS. "The biggest thing I've seen driving adoption is perception," Smith said. "Social media drives services. You see content being delivered in the cloud."

Hikvision Unveils Newest Mobile DVR

Editor / Provider: Hikvision | Updated: 7/6/2012 | Article type: Security 50

Hikvision launched a new series of mobile DVR -- DS-8100HMFI-T to expand its transportation surveillance portfolio. With the capability of accommodating up to 12-channel video input as well as its advantages over constant vibration and unstable power supply etc, the DS-8100HMFI-T is suitably practical to install in trains and some other large vehicles. Additionally, it also offers users the benefit of 3G/WI-FI data transmission such as video, location, brake signals and speed etc at user's choice.

Since mobile DVR is installed in vehicle which is constantly in motion, how to maintain stable working performance is an important proposition. This product adopts patented hard-disk vibration reduction technology to effectively keep device running stably. As an advanced technology in the mobile surveillance industry, it conforms to ISO 16750 standard (Road vehicles -- Environmental conditions and testing for electrical and electronic equipment), and it can withstand acceleration shock value of 50G, which greatly demonstrates its superiority over other products in the same category. In this case, users do not need to worry about the constant vibration that causes damage to the device.

This product also embeds a built-in redundant power supply which starts whenever the external power supply stops, and allows the system to have sufficient time to shutdown normally thus to avoid data loss and damage to the disks. Moreover, dust prevention, humidity and heat dissipation are also well considered in designing since mobile DVRs are generally installed in confined spaces and compartments.

Besides, the DS-8100HMFI-T Mobile DVR supports two 2.5-inch pluggable SATA HDD/SSD disks with a capacity of 500GB each for long term recording. The H.264 video compression is available for each analog channel with 4CIF real time encoding which significantly enhances the image quality during viewing and playback. Dual stream is also supported, with the sub stream allowing remote preview and mobile phone monitoring via limited bandwidth.

Compared to the former generation mobile DVRs, the DS-8100HMFI-T Mobile DVR utilize a brand new intuitive GUI for users to operate. The DS-8100HMFI-T Mobile DVR also provides various interfaces (eSATA/USB, SIM, RS232) for connecting external devices.